Ted Nugent has revealed that he recently lost a major sponsor for his television show, Spirit of the Wild, over accusations of racism, but failed to name the sponsor outright.
The rock guitarist and outspoken political conservative, whose hunting show airs on the Outdoor Channel, spoke of the the decision by his now former sponsor on an episode of his internet show "Spirit Campfire," which can be heard below.
In the episode, Nugent claimed that the sponsorship was pulled because the "mothership" company informed the sponsor that the rocker was a racist, an accusation which he proceeded to deny and has done so in the past when other claims of such had been levied against him, namely by former Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach.
In early 2014, Nugent infamously referred to then-President Barack Obama as a "subhuman mongrel."
In other instances, the "Stranglehold" author tweeted his opinions on matters of race — such as the ones below — on the night the verdict was reached regarding the lethal 2014 shooting of 18-year-old Black man Michael Brown, a Ferguson, Missouri resident, by police officer Darren Wilson, who was not indicted by a grand jury.
Two years later, he received a take-down request from the Anti-Defamation League over a perceived anti-Semetic social media post regarding gun control.
In the "Spirit Campfire" episode, Nugent stated (transcription via Blabbermouth) "Just last week… I'm not gonna name names right now, because the people that supported me are a segment of a huge global corporation. And they were a sponsor on our Spirit Of The Wild show, that helped finance Spirit Of The Wild and put it on the Outdoor Channel and promote conservation. And the mothership called the sponsor company and said, 'You can't sponsor Nugent. He's a racist.'"
Nugent continued, "And my people who had the sponsorship, they go, 'What are you talking about? He's not a racist. He's probably the biggest promoter of Black artists in the history of the spoken word.' [And the parent company said,] 'He's a racist. We're canceling [our sponsorship].' And I've gotta tell you, we're talking many six figures. And I can't get on the Outdoor Channel without sponsors."
After the sponsorship was withdrawn, another quickly stepped in as the guitarist further detailed, "But here's the beauty: as soon as those lying, hateful, leftist, intolerant punks canceled me, a guy from Big Time, a company Big Time out of Illinois, provided the sponsorship for the product to feed my wildlife and to promote their supplemental nutritional business. And the people who sponsored me, they were heartbroke [sic] that the mother global corporate prick canceled it. But within 24 hours, I had a replacement sponsor. Because assholes will be assholes, but there's still unbelievable good people out there — good people in the asset column, not the asshole column."
Below are a list of Nugent's sponsors, as they appears on the Spirit of the Wild section of his official website.
List of Ted Nugent Spirit of the Wild TV Sponsors, Per Official Ted Nugent Website
Bad Boys
Bohning
Bushnell
Gold Tip
Mathews
Mossy Oak
My Pillow
Northwest Retention Systems
Primos Hunting
Walker's Game Ear
Western Rivers
Ted Nugent's "Spirit Campfire" Internet Show
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